Into the Forest
by Punstereo
Summary: Living in a enchanted forest was not as exciting as most people might think. Ruby Rose has been living in a cabin for as long as she could remember and for once, she wished something exciting would happen. It wasn't until she encountered an injured girl at the side of a road that her life took a turn. [WolfRuby]
1. Encounter

A strong breeze swept through the forest. Its strong gush of air knocked some snow off of the trees which revealed the dark leaves underneath. The snow that had been pushed off fell to the floor in clumps. It added more snow to the already snow covered ground. The entire forest was draped in a layer of freshly fallen snow that extended as far as the eye could see. It covered up the dirt and various grasses that lay underneath. Its white color reflected the rays coming from the midday sun and made it shimmer brightly. This made the shadows cast by the evergreens almost invisible despite the huge amount of trees in the area.

The forest, being a forest filled with animals and other critters, was relatively quiet. The occasional gust of wind blew over the trees making their leaves shake and rustle. However, the most prominent sound coming from the forest, was the sound of snow being crunched underneath footsteps. These footsteps belonged to a certain wolf eared girl who was heading home from a day full of hunting. Hanging from her belt were several white rabbits which were going to be used to make a tasty stew later on in the evening. Since there was no need to hunt any more, The girl didn't attempt to muffle her footsteps. She accomplished her goal for the day and the next thing to do was get home and prepare lunch.

As she walked through the forest that was so well known to her, she took the time to take in her surroundings to kill some time. The sound of her boots against the snow was the only audible sound in the vicinity. If she stopped walking and concentrated hard enough, she would be able to hear all kinds of things. The sound of winter foxes digging in the snow and the subtle movement of to her faunus ears, she was able to hear way better than any ordinary person

Looking down at the dead rabbits, she realized that some blood managed to leak out and stain her clothing. Her rugged pants that were usually a light brown now had a small blotch of red on them. Fortunately for her, no blood dripped on her shirt. Even if it did, its dark color would make it hardly visible. After a bit of walking, the girl realized that she was no longer warm and instead felt an uncomfortable hotness envelop her. She untied the red cloak that had been covering her body and exposed her head to the chilly air. Her black and red hair came into contact with the cold temperature along with the wolf ears that sat atop her head. They twitched while trying to pick up any sound that was nearby. As per usual, nothing interesting was picked up and supported her thought that she was alone as of now.

She carefully folded the cloak until it was small enough to be draped over her shoulder. Her experienced and calloused hands ran over the soft fabric and reached a spot where the lettering was stitched into the cloak. In golden cursive lettering, the words read _Ruby Rose,_ the name given to her by her mother. She continued walking at her usual pace and observed the snow on the ground.

Even though the sun was at its highest it did little in melting the snow which appeared to be incapable of melting. After all the snowing that had happened a week ago, the amount of snow never increased or decreased. It stayed at a constant level that had been the same for as long as Ruby could remember. She looked up at the evening sun and saw that there were dark looking clouds looming in the distance. Judging from their size and amount, it meant that there was a blizzard approaching. From her past knowledge, the blizzard would turn into a major hazard if no precautions were taken. It would approach quickly and last several weeks.

The falling snow combined with harsh winds would make visibility very low. She would have to ration her resources if she wanted to have enough food to last the blizzard. Reaching a hand behind her back, she felt the arrows that were placed in a quiver. The arrows were made out of wood and had metal points that were dangerously sharp. The quiver was made out of leather and was strapped to her back by some string. Her fingers carefully ran over the metal points while she mentally counted the amount.

 _16 … Hmmm, I'll make some more later on just in case,_ She thought to herself. Her other hand took out the wooden bow that was next to her quiver. The red-haired girl placed it near her face and inspected to wood for any damage. Her hands ran along the rough surface of the wood and the bowstring. She pulled it back and felt how much power was behind it. Slowly putting it back into resting position, she took out an arrow and nocked it as if ready to fire. Feeling satisfied with what she saw, Ruby put the bow back to where it was and turned her attention to the path in front of her.

It seemed her attention had been drawn for quite some time because when he looked ahead, a pillar of smoke rose in the distance. The silver eyed girl smiled to herself, realizing that her log cabin was only a short distance away. Quicken her pace, the short-haired girl made her way home, feeling content after another successful day.

After a while, she stepped into a clearing where a small circle like-area was cleared of trees. In the middle sat a log cabin, its roof covered in slow and a billow of smoke coming out if its stone chimney. Despite its structure, the cabin was fairly warm on the inside. Some windows located on the sides provided a view of the inside. From her position, Ruby was unable to see everything clearly, but after so many years of living out here, she didn't need to see to know her way around. The entire layout of her home was etched into the back of her mind along with a fair bit of forested area. Surrounding the house was a wooden fence that kept any dangerous creatures from getting in and causing destruction.

On one side was a tree stump used to cut firewood along with a cutting ax placed on top. Behind it was a huge pile of firewood, waiting to be used. The red-haired girl walked up to the pile and placed several logs underneath one of her arms. She walked up to the door of the cabin and opened it, revealing the interior of the house. The transition between cold air to soothing warmth brought a smile to her face. She closed the door behind her and walked towards the fireplace located opposite of the door.

The fireplace was made out of gray stone while the cabin was made out of a dark type of wood. Her cabin was an adequate size, comprising of four main rooms. The biggest was a living room sort of area with a fur rug in the center, a leather couch, and other living elements. The second biggest was her room which comprised of a bed filled with warm and soft furs, a work area where she crafted arrows, and a dresser filled with different types of clothing. Next was the kitchen filled with cooking items and connected to the kitchen was a small storage room filled with preserved meats along with wild berries and edible plants.

As she approached, the heat radiating off of the fire was more prominent. The flames twisted and rose inside of its stone enclosure. The logs placed inside were almost completely white, meaning they were no longer able to be burned. The white ash settled at the bottom and almost looked like the snow from outside. Ruby remembered placing the logs before she left to go hunting which, judging by the current state, meant she'd been out for a good number of hours. Kneeling down, the silver eyed girl took the logs from under her arm and carefully place them into the fire. She made sure their position maximized the amount of time they burned and the heat they produced.

Once she was finished, she stood up and began placing her hunting equipment in on of the corners. The wooden bow was leaned against a wall while the quiver with the arrows was placed on top of a small table. Also on the table was her trusted hunting knife. The small blade was made out of a special enchanted metal. This type of metal forever stayed sharp and was surprisingly light despite its cutting strength. Next to the table was another pieces of equipment, except this particular item was rarely used.

The last tool in her arsenal was a scythe, made entirely out of metal. Even though it looked like any ordinary scythe a farmer would use it was actually far from it. The metal it was crafted from looked a lot like steel, but it was incredibly light and more durable. The scythe was made out of a different material form her hunting knife, but she knew it was no ordinary metal. The blade was sharp enough to cut through any type of material, be it rock or solid wood. Yet despite all of its benefits, Ruby had a good reason for not using it.

She picked it up from its resting position and placed her hands family around the handle. The way her hands fit around the shaft was extremely familiar as if her hands were completely used to it. The scythe, always kept inside and next to the fireplace, was still cold. No matter how close it went into the fire, the metal never heated up or was affected. Ruby raised the blade and saw her reflection staring back because of how smooth and polished it was. She saw silver eyes staring back at her and saw her wolf ears casually resting on her head. Taking a few practice swing at nothing, in particular, the short-haired girl could feel the familiar movements coming back to her.

She swung it diagonally and then straight down in a chopping motion. The silver eyed girl repeatedly he motion and added a spin at the end. However, she immediately stopped when she heard something heavy land on the floor with a thumb. On the wooden floor was a chunk of rock that had been cut by the scythe. The red-haired girl looked up and saw that she accidentally cut a piece of the chimney off. She stared at the piece of rock thinking about how she felt the scythe go through the material with no resistance.

This amount of cutting power was one of the reasons she rarely used it. It was incredibly dangerous and, to be honest with herself, made hunting way to easy. If she relied on it too heavily, she would eventually get out of shape, both physically and mentally. Feeling clumsy for accidentally cutting the chimney, the wolf-eared girl placed the weapon back in its place and could feel the second reason why she didn't use it. It was very subtle, but her body felt slightly tired all of the sudden. Ruby didn't know why but through experience, she noticed that the scythe's power came at a price.

Whenever she did use it, the weapon would somehow use up her aura, a type of spiritual energy that resided in all living things. Even though her aura was larger than most creature because she was a faunus, it still had its limits. When that ran out, it would instead use up her physical energy which could be lethal to herself if it was all used up. It may have seemed like a ridiculous disadvantage but the girl felt it balanced it overpowered capabilities. That's why she only use it on special occasions. Like when a big tree blocked her path or whenever a creature too powerful to be defeated by normal means showed up. One example where the creatures of Grimm. These beings were like embodiments of evil whose only intent was to cause havoc wherever it went.

Its hide was too tough to be punctured by her arrows and even her knife. The only tool strong enough to harm it was her scythe. Luckily, they rarely appear since they are only attracted to negative emotion. Ruby's way of life was a peaceful and happy one so it didn't generate any negative emotion. She never wanted to move out and since she was the only one there, it was relatively quiet. All in all, she was genuinely happy where she was. However, in some instances, she wished something exciting happened for once. A quiet peaceful life turned boring really easily and on some occasions, the red haired girl got fairly lonely all by herself. She craved for excitement and to feel a rush of adrenaline.

That's why she hunted. Not only did it provide food and leather used to make items, it also provided a small amount of excitement. The feel of tracking an animal and killing it in a single action was satisfactory. Her faunus features made tracking animals relatively easy, and her years of experience made traversing through the forest second nature. While she was lost in thought, the red-haired girl completely forgot about the rabbits hanging from her belt. It wasn't until she heard a droplet of blood land on the floor that she remembered they were there. Picking up her hunting knife, the silver eyed girl began walking towards the kitchen to prepare them.

The kitchen in her cabin wasn't much of a kitchen. It only had some tables, a small fire with pots and pans hanging from an iron rod used to cook, and some chairs. There was also some cabinets to store necessary materials such as bowls, plates, and eating utensils. However, most of the resources collected during a hunt would be stored in the storage room. The red-haired girl walked over to one of the tables and placed the three dead rabbits on it. She chooses one of them and began the procedure.

She skillfully made a cut along the stomach of the creature and took out all the unnecessary organs. Afterwards, she used the knife to remove the outer skin and fur leaving the meat behind. Repeating the process three times didn't take much time, mainly because this is what Ruby did almost every day. She discarded the organs in a bucket used to dispose of unwanted material and set the fur aside for later use. Once all the meat was collected, the silver-eyed began preparing the ingredients for the rabbit stew she was planning on making. She went into the storage room and took out some carrots, potatoes, and herbs.

Since it was too cold to grow any vegetables and roots, the wolf-eared girl would take a trip to an area in the forest where it was a lot warmer. It was really far away and in the best weather conditions would take a couple of days to get there. However, it was the only area that had naturally growing carrots, potatoes, herbs and other types of vegetables. For some reason, the forest she lived in always stayed cold and was always covered in snow. Even after all the years she'd spent living in the cabin, the seasons never changed and always stayed winter. Ruby didn't really mind since she had gotten used to the cold and it didn't really bother her anymore. However, she did have a feeling that the forest was magical in a sense after all the enchanted things she had found in the past.

She grabbed a pot and filled it with water while hanging it above the small fire. The water she used came from a geothermal hot spring near her log cabin. The mineral-rich water not only added a nice flavor when used in cooking but also felt nice when she used it to bathe herself. Since she didn't want to contaminate the water with soap, the short-haired girl would usually fill up some buckets and then put the water into a giant barrel used to store water. One interesting detail about the spring water was that its temperature would stay the same for a very long time, no matter how far away it was from its source. Eventually when the water began turning cold, Ruby would transport it to a different barrel that held cold water.

The next thirty minutes were spent preparing the stew. The ingredients were added to the boiling pot one after another until the delectable dish was ready. Ruby retrieved a bowl and spoon from the nearby drawer and served herself a hearty helping of stew. She scoped some of it up with her spoon, making sure to get a piece of carrot, potato, and rabbit meat. Blowing some air on the liquid to cool it down, the red-haired girl slipped the spoon into her mouth and savored the taste of her dish. The rabbit meat was cooked to perfection and the broth had an excellent taste thanks to the spring water. The taste made her tail wag out of satisfaction.

Even though she had eaten the same dish countless times before, she was still surprised at how enjoyable it was to eat. The silver eyed girl continued eating in comfort until she was satisfied with a full stomach. She placed the bowl and spoon to the side to be cleaned later and began gathering the material necessary to craft more arrows. These particular arrows were made out of wood, a feathery fletching, and a pointed arrowhead made out of metal scraps. Once all the materials were gathered, the short-haired girl walked into her bedroom and began to arrow making process.

The small area of her bedroom designated as the "work area" comprised of table, chair, and some tools such as hammers and saw. Ruby sat down on the chair which is where she would be staying for the next few hours. Making arrows wasn't a difficult process but it was tedious. Since the tip was so sharp, she had to be careful to not damage it and ruin its penetrating power. However, after all the previous time she had made arrows, the red-haired girl was able to zone out while also being careful with her movements.

In this state, Ruby was able to think about other things and essentially multitask. Her mind wandered towards the dark foreboding cloud she saw while hunting. She had predicted that the blizzard would arrive soon but now that she thought about it carefully, it would most likely arrive sooner than she had previously thought. This meant a checkup of her supplies and resources would be required. She wanted to make sure she was carefully prepared for the upcoming blizzard.

Next, her mind thought back to the events of the day, more importantly, the time she spent hunting. Overall, it was a fairly average day. It passed by like any other day and her hunt was no exception. There was, however, a certain moment that stuck out to her. About two hours after she left her home, Ruby spotted a pack of wolves doing their own hunting. She hid behind a bush and made sure to make her presence unknown. There were about three wolves in total and all of them were fully grown with grey fur covering their bodies. This spectacle confused the red-haired girl since wolves don't normally hunt this close to her house. There was something off about them that struck Ruby the wrong way but she didn't know why.

Being a wolf faunus, the silver eyed girl had good relations with the wolf population. She was able to communicate with them and understand their point of view. They agreed to stay away from her territory as long as she did the same for their territory. Despite this, there were still the ones that were rouge and refused to comply. This pack was usually comprised of delinquents who have yet to mature and understand their role in life. But the wolves she saw today were clearly old enough to be adults. She thought about making contact with them but decided not to, feeling it was unnecessary to interfere.

Before she knew it, a total of ten arrows had been crafted and she realized the sun had completely set, encasing the are in darkness. The only lighting was the fireplace that continued to burn in its enclosure. Ruby placed the finished arrows on the table, making a mental note to place them in her hunting quiver tomorrow. She stood up and made her way to her bed with tired steps. She was feeling tired after working so long and had probably been oblivious to it since her mind was elsewhere. The short-haired girl plopped herself down on the bed and wrapped herself in the many furs scattered around. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, feeling grateful for her ability to fall into a peaceful slumber at a moment's notice.

The next day, Ruby decided to investigate the area where she spotted the wolves from the other day. The feeling in her gut that told her something was off about those woves lasted all throughout the night. She awoke at the crack of dawn and made sure she had her gear all set up. She played several logs into the fire to ensure the cabin stayed warm while she was out. The red-haired girl grabbed some dried meat from the storage room to act as a quick breakfast. She would have a proper meal once she returned but for now, the dried meat would suffice. Sheathing her hunting knife beside her belt, the silver eyed girl made sure her cloak was safely wrapped around her neck.

Making a double check to ensure her boots were properly tied and her bow properly secured, Ruby set off from her cabin and began the hour-long journey to the area where the wolves had previously been. Stepping into the forest, the wolf-eared girl realized that the dark clouds were overhead and were covering the entire sky. Any moment now snow would start falling until they eventually blocked visibility. When that happened, trying to traverse the forest was ten times more difficult. Even with her sharpened senses combined with her faunus features, the silver eyed girl still had trouble navigating the wooded area. The blizzard would make everything look the same and cover up her tracks, thus preventing her from following them back home.

Ruby quickened her pace, not wanting to get caught in the middle of the snow storm out in the forest. Eventually she managed to find the area from the other day. The imprints in the snow left behind by the wolves were still there. The snow had yet to fall which made tracking them much more easier. The silver eyed girl stood there for a while, making sure the wolves were nowhere nearby. She freed her wolf ears from the cloak and directed her concentration towards hearing. Her ears swiveled around trying to locate any sound that was out of place like a distant howl or the snap of a twig. Her ears picked up nothing so she decided to follow the trail making sure to keep her body low and her steps silent.

The trail went deeper into her forest until it stopped at a clearing. The clearing had some more trails that circled around following the trees. Judging from the indentations in the snow, the wolves must have found some type of prey. Ruby walked towards the center and spotted a patch of snow that was a darker color than the rest. She crouched down and moved some of it aside, revealing a small puddle of frozen blood. Next to it were another set of tracks, except these were not made by a wolf. Instead, the tracks revealed that a lone caribou had wandered into the clearing, probably looking for food.

Since caribou normal travel in groups, it was out of the ordinary for a single one to travel on its own. However taking a closer look at its tracks revealed a trail that was a bit crooked. It was as if it was injured and had a limp on one of its legs, which meant it couldn't keep up with the others and was abandoned in the process. This made it an easy target for the wolves and, because of this injury, gave it a tremendous disadvantage against three of them.

Looking around the clearing, Ruby tried to look for a carcass that signified the creature's inevitable death. Seeing that there were no remains, the red-haired girl assumed that the caribou managed to put up some type of fight or perhaps ran away when it spotted its predator. The silver eyed girl then spotted a set of trails that were fresher than the ones before. They consisted of wolf and caribou marks along with some droplets of blood. Judging from the blood she saw earlier, the wolves must have been successful in harming the animal but was not enough to immobilize it.

She began following the trail, but not without realizing that snow was beginning to fall from the sky. A feeling in her gut told her that the blizzard was fast approaching and it wouldn't be long before went into full force. She needed to find out why there were wolves this close to her home before the storm hit. If she didn't, it would be weeks before she had another opportunity to find them. The trail she was following continued for quite a distance and it eventually ended in one particular spot. The tracks made by the wolves and caribou suddenly ended at a stack of bones that vaguely made out the shape of a skeleton. The bones were stripped of their meat leaving behind the uneatable remains.

Ruby observed the thin layer of snow covering the remains and reached the conclusion that the animal died a full 24 hours ago. The wolves responsible for this were probably long gone by this point which meant her journey was for nothing. Letting out a dissatisfied sigh, the red-haired girl took her time to observe her surroundings. One quick look made her realize that she was standing in a part of the forest that was unfamiliar. The new area was definitely out of her territory which meant she was out of her element. The idea left an uncomfortable feeling in her mind, not use to being in a foreign part of the forest. The silver eyed girl turned around and planned on going back before the snowfall worsened.

Before she was able to take a single step, an audible howl cut the air, the noise echoing through the area. The howl sounded very similar to a wolf's howl but there was something off about it. Ruby snapped her head towards the direction of the noise and used her hearing to locate its source. Before she was able to locate it, her eyes spotted some movement in the distance. Crouching down to minimize visibility, the short-haired girl ran towards the movement. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted some grey colored fur sprinting towards a direction perpendicular to the one she was going. Judging by the color and the howl from earlier, Ruby made the assumption that it was the three wolves from earlier.

 _What are these wolves up to? S_ he thought to herself as she spotted the creature not too far from where she was currently standing. Form the way it was acting, it appeared to be unaware of her presence which is why it took off running in another direction. The wolf-eared girl was about to go after it but noticed a sudden decrease in lighting. The clouds overhead clustered together making a layer that blocked most of the sun's rays. The snow began falling faster and in larger amounts. A part of Ruby's mind told her to give up the chase and head back since the weather was getting too hazardous too quickly. She considered it for a moment and was about to head back before an unexpected sound suddenly came from the direction the wolf was running towards.

It was a sound she hadn't heard in many years and it made her tail stiffen when it reached her ears. It was a loud scream but instead of coming from an animal, this scream sounded human. Ruby's heart began to race at the thought of seeing another living person. Being the only non creature in the vast forest she lived in had its downsides. With no other being to communicate with, Ruby had forgotten what it was like to interact with another person. She couldn't even remember the last time she had encountered another person, so seeing one after so long filled her with a foreign excitement.

Before she could process it, her legs were already carrying her towards the noise. She ran as fast as she could, completely forgetting the idea of staying hidden. It wasn't long before she reached a stretch of forest that had a patch of dirt that cutting through it like a path.

The road-like path was almost empty except the two wolves that were on it. The third wolf soon joined, which was the reason it was running towards them since it heard the howl of its companions. The three predators were in an offensive position. They bared their teeth and let out hostile grows towards something Ruby couldn't see from her position. She moved closer and felt her eyes widen when she saw what the wolves were cornering. There, dressed in all white clothing, was a girl who looked to be about her age. She had snow white hair that had patches of dirt in it. The thing that surprised her the most was her dirty appearance and the fact that her clothes were stained with streaks of red. The girl had blood coming from her left eye. One of her hands was clutching the damaged eye while the other was holding a makeshift knife in a defensive way.

For a moment, the red-haired girl was too stunned to do anything. She was too shocked to move and couldn't even think about anything else besides the girl who was in clear danger. In her current state of mind, Ruby was unaware of the sky becoming increasingly dark, the snow that was falling harder and harder, and the wind that dropped the temperature to a biting cold. Her feet were unmoving as if glued to the spot. The only sound that did manage to reach her was the sound of something falling in the snow with a loud thud.


	2. Rescue

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the events happening on the road were playing out. The white-haired girl who was previously standing up was now on the snow-covered ground. Her body was exhausted and her current state did little to help. She was shivering uncontrollably and her arms wobbled too much to properly pick herself up. The white hair that was in a ponytail was incredibly disheveled and had some patches of dirt on it. Her current attire, comprised of dress like clothing, was also dirty and did nothing in keeping the girl warm. The snow underneath her feet was rapidly reddening with blood. The injury on the girl's eye looked extremely painful and was the result of her loss of energy.

The wolves, sensing the vulnerability of their prey, slowly eased forward. Their postures were cautious, probably because their prey was a something had never seen before. The injured girl must have noticed the wolves approaching because she made another attempt to stand up but failed miserably. For a moment, it seemed the wolves were going to be successful in their hunt. Their prey had nowhere to go and was unable to defend herself. However, they had yet to notice the red-haired girl that was observing the whole thing.

Ruby, who was out of the sight, was slowly starting to panic. Here she was in an unknown part of the forest seeing another person who was in immediate danger. Her instincts urged her to forget about the girl since the amount of blood loss was close to being fatal. Plus, there was the issue of the wolves being the ones on the offense. If she attacked while trying to save the injured girl, she would probably stir trouble with the wolves. This part of the forest was most likely a part of their territory and attacking would jeopardize the peace between them.

Despite this, there was a small voice at the back of her mind that told her to save the white-haired girl. It was the sensible side that was closely related to her human side. It told her that as a person, she held a responsibility to help another person in need. It made her notice a certain detail about the wolves who were cornering the injured girl. Their fur, which would normally be a shade of grey, was darker than usual. It had small blotches of fur that were completely black and Ruby could see something small and white stick out of their backs. The eyes of these creatures were not the usual yellow color and instead looked red.

"Wait … they almost look like Grimm," She quietly whispered to herself. It seemed like an impossible idea since Ruby had never seen Grimm that looked identical to wolves. If they _were_ Grimm, it would allow her to swoop in and save the white-haired girl. But, there was still the possibility that the creatures were, in fact, actual wolves and attacking would result in trouble. Both of these options made her head spin due to indecisiveness and caused her panic to increase tremendously. Before she was able to think about it any further, her peripheral vision caught the movement of one of the wolves lunging forward to attack. The red-haired girl knew if she didn't act right now, the white-haired girl would be a goner. There was only one option that would cause the least amount of repercussions for both the girl and the creatures.

It was an option that the wolf-eared girl rarely used but in this instance, she had no choice but to rely on it. She quickly closed her eyes and focused all her energy on one particular thing. Her aura. Even though it was another type of energy, it was still capable of doing things that seemed magical. While she was doing this, her mind was thinking about a particular thought that would help activate her ability.

 _Speed_. The silver eyed girl kept chanting the word in her mind until she felt a familiar feeling filling her body. Her body was getting lighter and lighter until it felt like she was almost floating. This ability of hers was called a semblance, a magic-like ability that could be activated if the aura's energy was concentrated. It was a hidden type of talent that hid within both humans and faunus, but could only be activated with a certain type of training. The short-haired girl learned about this ability a year and a half ago but because it was still new to her, it was somewhat difficult to control. It allowed her to move at incredible speeds while being able observing the world around her in a slowed state.

Ruby opened her eyes and immediately noticed the change in the environment. The wolf that was lunging at the white-haired girl was moving slowly as if slowed down by an invisible force. Not wanting to waste any more time, the silver eyed girl sprinted forwards feeling her physical body transforms into a red mist. Her altered from didn't have a specific shape but to an outside observer, it looked like a bunch of rose petals hanging in the air before falling to the ground.

She approached the injured girl and waited for her physical form to return. Her left arm went under the girl's knees while the right arm supported the back. One look at her face showed Ruby that the girl had lost consciousness after all the damage she received. The wound on the eye was still bleeding and, if left untreated, would result in a heavy blood loss and eventually death. Not to mention her body was incredibly cold and would probably cause hypothermia. The short-haired girl knew she had to return to her cabin and treat the wounds of the white-haired girl. She only hoped her semblance would last until then.

Quickly turning around to face the direction she had come from, Ruby tucked the girl closer to make sure her body was secured in her arms. She began running and could feel herself, along with the girl in her arms, shift into a red and white mist. They zipped through the forest, passing trees and falling snow at a tremendous rate. The snow that was falling from the sky fell like leaves slowly drifting to the ground. Ruby kept moving until she spotted the caribou carcass from before. From here on out, all she needed to do was to follow the trails left behind by the wolves.

The wolf-eared girl didn't know for how long she ran. The worrying thought that the girl wouldn't survive kept plaguing her mind and prevented her from thinking about anything else. She would feel responsible for the girl's death solely because she wasn't fast enough to act. Eventually, Ruby entered a part of the forest that she recognized. It was an area that was an hour away from her cabin on foot but would take a minute if she used her semblance. She ran in the direction of her home but not before feeling herself slow down. The world around her starting moving faster and her body was not as light as it was before.

 _I'm almost there. Just a little longer!_ The red-haired girl mustered all the remaining energy she had and made one final sprint. She could feel her control of her semblance slowly slipping and soon, she would be unable to use it. Fortunately, before it was able to give out, the sight of her log cabin came into view. The billow of smoke coming from the chimney was hardly visible with all the snowfall still lingering in the air. Just as she stepped into the clearing, her semblance gave out and she was forcefully brought back to reality. The unexpected change did not allow her enough time to adjust and caused her to slip and fall, sending both Ruby and the girl tumbling to the ground.

Before she knew it, the wolf-eared girl was laying face first into the bitter cold snow. Her legs felt wobbly as she picked herself up and for a moment felt a sense of disorientation. There was a sharp pain coming from her right shoulder. It must have taken the brunt of the fall because she could hardly move it without feeling a spike of pain. Ruby frantically looked around, trying to find where the white-haired girl landed. She spotted the girl not too far from where she was and, without a moment's notice, scooped her up in her arms. She ignored the tremendous pain coming from both her arms and her legs along with the little energy she had left. Her lungs were quickly losing oxygen and began to burn as if her body had been running for hours.

With tremendous effort, the silver eyed girl opened the door and placed the body in her arms on a nearby couch. She closed the door and made sure there were enough logs in the fire to keep both of them warm. Seeing that there were still a fair amount of fuel, Ruby let out a sigh of relief. All the adrenaline from before was starting to dissipate and she soon felt a huge amount of exhaustion weigh down on her. Her eyelids felt really heavy and she didn't know how much longer she would stay conscious. She supported her weight on a nearby table to prevent herself from falling. Any moment now, she would collapse on the floor and blackout due to a lack of energy.

 _NO! I have keep going!_ She internally screamed. Ruby would never forgive herself if the only person she had seen in years would die before they properly knew each other. With a newfound determination, the red-haired girl went into the storage room and came back with some furs, bandaging, and medicinal herbs. She carefully lined the bandaging with the herbs and wrapped them around the girl's injured eye. It would prevent infection and stop the injury from bleeding more. Afterwards, she draped the furs over her body to prevent her body from getting any colder. When all the preparation were complete Ruby let herself have a moment of relief before she would inevitably pass out.

She staggered back until her back hit one of the walls of the cabin. Her legs were no longer able to support her weight and she slowly slid down the wall. Her breathing came out in ragged puffs while her eyelids were too heavy to be kept open for any longer. The last thing she felt before losing consciousness was an immense feeling of relief, knowing the girl she saved would live to see another day.

* * *

Ruby didn't know how long she was out of it, but when she finally came back to it, she noticed the freezing temperature inside the cabin. Her puffs of breath were barely visible but they were still there. There was hardly any light since the fireplace no longer had a burning fire in it. The red-haired girl picked herself up, though not without a bit of difficulty. Her bow that was still attached to her back fell with a thud. The events that had transpired were taking a toll on her body. The amount of energy she used for her semblance was way more than her body was used to. She felt sore just about everywhere and it proved difficult to take a single step.

The silver-eyed girl looked out the window and saw the blizzard raging away outside. It was impossible to see five feet from the window given all the snow that was falling down. This combined with the rapid wind made going outside a serious hazard, especially in the condition she was in. The short haired girl was about to warm up in her bedroom before something suddenly entered her mind. She turned her head and immediately saw the unconscious figure of the girl she rescued. The bandages on her head were now a light red which meant they had to be replaced. However, Ruby was too weak to barely walk so it would prove difficult to do anything besides that.

With shaky steps, the wolf-eared girl slowly made her way to the storage room. She dug around for a bit until she found an item that would help with her current situation. The item in question was a bottle filled with a bright golden liquid. The liquid acted as a rejuvenating substance that would help Ruby walk around with more ease. She couldn't remember how it came into her possession but she did know it had something to do with a cave and a hidden chest. The only problem was that it was the only one she had. If she drank it right know, she would no longer be able to use it in a future scenario. Since it was for a good reason, the silver eyed girl felt it was ok to use it up.

She placed the lip of the bottle to her mouth and took eager gulps of the liquid. The liquid, despite being in a cold room, felt oddly warm going down her through. Before she knew it, the entirety of the bottle's contents was gone, leaving behind tiny droplets that clung to the walls. Ruby wiped her mouth with her sleeve and automatically felt the liquid's effects. Her energy was slowly coming back to her and it wouldn't be long before she was able to properly move.

Now that her movement issue was dealt with, the red-haired girl moved to the next thing she had to do. She walked to the door of her cabin and carefully opened it with caution. As soon as the door opened, the heavy snowfall and harsh winds filled the room and started covering the entrance with snow. With rapid steps, she walked over to the firewood pile and took out as much as she could carry along with some small kindling. When they were full stacked on her arms, the wolf-eared girl hurried back inside and closed the door before more snow entered her home. She walked over to the fireplace and threw the logs into the pit. Because of the urgency of the situation, Ruby had no time to position them carefully, but she did remember to put the kindling on top.

Grabbing some flint form a bucket near the fireplace, the red-haired girl made it her mission to get the fire going as soon as possible. She picked up her hunting knife and scraped the piece of flint against it creating sparks that ignited the tiny pieces of kindling. Blowing on it to ensure the fire started, the silver eyed girl was relieved when one of the logs finally caught on fire. After a while, the cabin was filled with the warm light coming from the fireplace and the freezing temperature finally rose to a soothing warmth. Feeling satisfied with the condition of the fire, Ruby took some time to warm herself up. She didn't spend too much time since there were other pressing matters. The next thing she needed to do was to rebandage to head for the injured girl. It was fortunate that she managed to bring enough bandaging to not require another trip to the storage room.

She walked over to the couch in which the girl was laying on with the bandages on her hand. When she was an arm's length away, the red-haired took some time to carefully study the girl's features. With the impending doom of death no longer lingering over her, Ruby realized that the white-haired girl has some fairly attractive features. Of course, seeing the first person after years of solitude meant that anyone could have attractive features in her eyes. The hair of the girl was as white as snow and her skin was almost the same. Her bangs were draped over her forehead and, if it wasn't for the bandages, would've added to her beauty. Her chest gently rose and fell with each breath. Her cheeks and nose were sharp while her mouth was pressed into a thin line.

With steady hands, Ruby removed the bandages from the girl's eye and was relieved to see that the bleeding had stopped. The damage to her eye had left a long vertical scar that went from the left side of her forehead to her left cheek. It was the only imperfection in the otherwise unblemished face. A faint sense of guilt began to fill her gut, even though there was no way she could have prevented it from happening. The girl already had the cut on her eye when she arrives so it wasn't her fault. Yet Ruby did feel bad for what the girl went through. She carefully opened the scarred eyelid and was surprised to see the eye was still intact. She was more surprised, however, to see that her eyes were blue in color. The color made them look like blue ice that sometimes appeared in the coldest parts of the forest.

It seemed whatever caused the damage to her eye failed to reach the actual eye itself. The white-haired girl was incredibly lucky to have her left eye completely unscathed. She would still be able to see out of both eyes but she would need to have some bandaging covering to make sure it fully recovered. A scar would be left behind but at least nothing else was damaged. Ruby, remembering the bandages in her hand, unraveled some lengths and wrapped it around the girl's head. Then, she removed the furs covering her body and inspected for any other type of damage.

The articles of clothing that adorned the white-haired girl were still dirty and had some minor cuts among them. The dress that she wore was very ill-suited for the icy climate of the forest. There was a thick jacket on her upper body but it only went down to her waist. Her legs were fully exposed and she had some shoes on her feet that didn't look very warm. The shoes, combined with every other article of clothing, were entirely made out of white material, except for some areas that were a very light shade of blue.

It was odd that such an obvious feature managed to slip her mind when she saw the white-haired girl for the first time. The panic and severity of the situation probably made her overlook the detail. Though, her very own silver eyes meant that Ruby couldn't really judge the girl for having a strange eye color.

 _Who is this girl? And why is everything she wears white?_ Ruby thought to herself. However, it seemed her question would go unanswered until the blue-eyed girl eventually woke up. Until then, the red-haired girl would check on the white-haired girl from time to time and see if things improved. The dangerous blizzard that would last a few weeks would prevent her from going outside to do some hunting. It was for the best, really, since she would be more useful staying inside. There was still the problem of food and the amount that was left but Ruby would deal with it when the time comes. The wolf-eared girl was about to go take a quick nap before a loud noise came from her stomach. She blushed out of embarrassment and realized that the dried meat from the morning was not filling enough to last her this long.

"I guess I should probably make some food right about now." She sheepishly said with a small laugh.

* * *

Ruby was standing in her kitchen stirring some almost ready stew when she suddenly heard a quiet noise coming from her living room. Her wolf ears identified it as the rustling of clothing and furs. She was about to brush it off as an unconscious movement but an unexpected groan caught her attention. It was then followed by a sharp inhale of pain, which meant the white-haired had finally woken up from her unconscious state. The mere thought made her tail begin to wag, her mind already filling with questions to ask the girl. She was about to make her way towards the living room until a certain thought entered her mind.

 _This is the first person I've seen in a very long time. How am I supposed to act?_ The silver eyed girl had completely forgotten what it was like to be in the presence of another living being that wasn't an animal or creature. After so many years of being by herself, she had developed a habit of not talking and would instead speak mentally. There were some instances where she would talk out loud but they didn't happen all too often. However, a confused noise coming from the living room reminded her that she needed to decide what to do very soon.

 _Alright, just act cool. I don't want to make a fool of myself in front her,_ She thought with determination. Taking a deep breath to calm her beating heart, she stepped into the room, making sure to go only as far as the doorway. She leaned against one of the walls while crossing her arms and placing one of her legs over the other. She made sure to keep out of sight of the injured girl, who didn't appear to notice her presence. Her face eased into a neutral expression and she made sure her cloak was concealing her features, like a mysterious hunter living a life of solitude and mystery. Coughing into her hand to attract the attention of the white-haired girl, Ruby made sure to stare directly into her blue eyes with a serious look of her own.

"So … you're finally a cake." She said while imitating a deep voice. The girl in question, however, simply stared in confusion after what she just heard. For a moment, the two girls stared at each other, an uncomfortable silence soon following. After a while, the blue-eyed girl spoke.

"W-what?" The wolf-eared girl cast her gaze towards the ground as a deep blush soon engulfed her face. To an onlooker, her expression stayed the same, but internally, the wolf-eared girl was having a mental breakdown.  
 _  
Ahhhhh! I meant to say "awake" not "a cake". There go my plans for a good first impression._ She thought somberly. The short-haired girl removed her hood and tried to make eye contact with the girl in front of her. Though her earlier mishap was making it difficult, along with her fidgeting of her hands.

"Uhh … Hi. I'm R-Ruby, the one who saved you from those wolves." She said with a small wave. The stuttering of her own name made the silver eyed girl blush even more. The tips of her ears were incredibly warm, and the fire that was not too far away made her body feel hotter. She couldn't think of anything that could make her embarrassment worsen.

"Where am I? What is this place?" The girl said while looking around the cabin. Her voice sounded weak and quiet, an indication that her energy hasn't fully returned.

"Oh, this is my home. I brought you here to keep you safe. I also treated your wounds in case you were wondering." Ruby started, trying to sound polite. She observed the white-haired girl make an attempt to sit up but collapsed on the couch instead. The red-haired girl rushed to her side, not wanting the girl to injure herself any further.

"You should probably rest a bit more. Your body has yet to recover from what it went through." She gently said. The eyes of the white-haired girl stared back in a dazed manner before closing. It wasn't long before she went back to sleep, just like the first time Ruby laid her down on the couch. For the next hour, the girl hardly stirred in her sleep or showed any signs of waking up.

During this time Ruby finished the stew, poured it into two bowls, and ate her portion in silence. The second bowl she kept to the side near the fire in case the white-haired girl awoke with an empty stomach. The warm dish would not only warm her body up but would also act as its own homemade remedy. She just hoped the injured girl was ok with rabbit as one of the main ingredients. The wolf-eared girl was about to place her empty bowl in the kitchen until a loud startled scream caused her ears to cringe in pain. She looked at the blue-eyed girl and saw that she has awoken from what appeared to be a nightmare.

Her eyes were frantic and unfocused while her head looked around with urgency. When she realized there was no immediate danger, the white-haired girl allowed herself to calm down before noticing the place she was in. Her gaze immediately landed on Ruby, who was standing off to the side with a confused expression on her face. Instead of recognizing her, the blue-eyed girl went into another frantic state.

"W-Who are you? Where am I? Why are there bandages over my left eye!?" Her shrill voice pierced the quiet atmosphere and drowned out the blizzard that was happening outside. The silver eyed girl, upon hearing the repeated question, made the assumption that the girl didn't remember what happened an hour ago. She saw this as a second chance to make a good first impression and with renewed determination, leaned against a nearby wall with arms crossed.

"Relax. You're safe here. If it weren't for me, you would have perished out in the forest." She said in a deep voice, trying to sound serious. If her head would have been concealed by her cloak, Ruby's "cool" demeanor would be more believable.

"Wait, aren't you the girl who called me a cake?" The injured girl said with a bit of accusation in her voice. Her statement caused the red-haired girl to falter and make her previous blush return.

"So you do remember! Then why did you ask the same question twice?" She asked while trying not to let her voice raise too much. The white-haired girl had just survived a near death experience so the events were still fresh in her mind. She didn't want to put unnecessary stress on the person she just saved.

"I may not remember much of what happened, but I do remember the first thing you said to me." She said. All the while, Ruby was shaking her head in her hands when the realization that the first person she meets in years now thinks she's a goofball. As she was doing this, the short haired girl was unaware of the awkward shuffling being done by the blue-eyed girl.

"Before I forget, I would like to thank you … for saving me. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be alive right now," Murmured the girl from her position on the couch. The second part of her statement was said in a hushed tone as if still reeling from the previous events. If it wasn't for her precise hearing, the silver eyed girl would've definitely missed it.

"No problem. It was thanks to _these_ that I managed to find you on time," Ruby pointed at the faunus ears that sat atop her head with a hint of pride. The girl, however, started with an unreadable look on her face.

"Hold on. Are you a Faunus? I thought your kind were only a myth." She said in bewilderment. The shocked look on her face showed that she had never seen someone with a tail or a second pair of ears before. The silver eyed girl couldn't comprehend how it was possible to never come into contact with a faunus, through her knowledge about human and faunus relations was minimum at best.

"Yes I am a faunus, a wolf faunus to be precise," Ruby said while showing off her tail and ears as an added note.

"Wow, this day just keeps on getting crazier." The blue-eyed girl took a moment to collect her bearings before continuing their conversation. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths before talking again.

"Well, this is a good time as any to properly introduce myself." The white-haired girl coughed into her hand a few times before sitting up with a straight posture.

"My name is Weiss Schnee, daughter of one of the richest nobles in the land and soon to be owner of said land," Her words, radiating with etiquette, filled the quietness of the cabin.

"Oh, so you're like one of those princesses from fairy tales!" Ruby exclaimed with a bit of excitement.

"No you dolt, I'm an heiress, not a princess. My father has to be a king or something for me to be a princess." Weiss huffed with crossed arms, feeling it was ridiculous for someone to think she was a part of royalty. The wolf-eared girl visibly deflated at the mention of this, but she brushed it off after a while. The heiress was about to say something else before she was suddenly reminded of the bandages covering her head and a part of her left eye.

"And can you take these bandages off, they're starting to get incredibly itchy." Ruby walked over to where she was sitting and began taking the bandages off with a quick "sorry". Before the white-haired girl awoke, she had planned to take them off but ended up getting sidetracked. When all of it was unwinded, Weiss took a moment to feel the sacred area. Her hand ran along the scar on her left eye and when she realized how big it was, the white-haired girl let out a disgruntled noise.

"While I'm thankful for retaining my ability to see, I'm still fairly upset with this ugly scar. This all could have been avoided if those bandits didn't show up!" She yelled with clear anger in her voice. Her hands were clenched into fists and she was glaring intensely at the floor. At the mention of the word "bandits", Ruby felt a sense of curiosity swell in her mind.

"Bandits? I thought one of the wolves gave you that scar?" She said with confusion. If bandits were the ones responsible for the injury, it meant that the white-haired girl was luckier than she had originally imagined. At her question, Weiss let out a heavy sigh and let a big majority of her anger drain away. She turned in her spot and faced the fire that's still burning away.

"No, the wolves only managed to ruin my perfectly good dress. It was a group of bandits that did this to me." Her finger pointed at the scar on her left eye for a second before dropping on her lap. The red-haired girl was about to ask what happened before the heiress beat her to it.

"I guess the least I can do is tell you my story. There is nothing else I _can_ do in my current condition." She somberly said. She continued staring at the fireplace, her eyes never one looking up or casting a glance at Ruby. Her eyes were glued on the dancing flames for a what felt like a lifetime. Her eyes had a painful look to them and it was long before she spoke up again.

"It all started a few weeks ago. My family wanted me to visit a faraway town in hope of finding a business to invest in. But of course, like a lot of things in my life, it didn't go according to plan."


	3. A girl named Weiss

The heat radiating off of the fireplace went practically unnoticed by the two girls in the cabin. There was an awkward tension that clung to the air as if both of them were waiting for the other person to speak. Ruby was looking down at her hands that were busy playing with the hem of her shirt. She went from leaning on the wall to sitting on a nearby chair. From the position, she was able to see the white-haired girl sitting on the couch facing the fireplace. The furs that were previously covering her body were now draped on her lap. The wolf-eared girl suddenly remembered the second bowl of stew she had poured for this exact situation.

She stood up and made her way to the kitchen where the bowl of stew was patiently waiting on top of one of the tables. There was a bit of steaming still rising from the hot liquid which meant it was properly cooled down enough for consumption. The silver eyed girl quickly grabbed it along with an extra spoon and walked towards the living room where she promptly presented it to Weiss. The blue-eyed girl eyed the item in her hands for a while before looking at Ruby with a confused look.

"I thought you might be hungry so I made this for you." She handed over the bowl which was accepted with hesitant hands. The white-haired girl took the spoon into one of her hands and slowly stirred the dish with a look of uncertainty on her face. The wolf-eared girl rubbed one of her arms in anticipation, hoping the blue-eyed girl found her dish tasty

"Sorry in advance if you don't like it. I didn't really have enough time to make anything else." Ruby looked at the floor as she said this, feeling the uncomfortable air from before returning. After a moment, Weiss scooped a bit of the stew on a spoon and slipped it into her mouth. She took her time in chewing the small pieces of potato and rabbit meat and eventually swallowed. The short-haired girl felt a sense of satisfaction as she saw the girl's face light up in surprise.

"What's this made out of?" Weiss asked while scooping more of the stew on the spoon.

"It's just an ordinary stew made out of rabbit meat, some potatoes, carrots, and herbs," Ruby responded while listing the ingredients of the dish. The blue-eyed girl gave her a look that said "are you serious?" before returning her attention to the bowl in her hands. It was as if she wasn't expecting such a dish to taste so good.

"I've eaten countless dishes made from some of the best chefs in the land and this, by far, is the greatest one I've tasted" Her little statement made the red-haired girl blush out of embarrassment. She didn't realize her ordinary dish would leave such an impression on the girl.

"Aww, you're just saying that. My recipe is something anybody could make," She said bashfully while scratching the back of her head. Even though she was trying to sound modest, the waging of her tail completely contradicted her statement. The silver eyed girl watched in amusement as Weiss ate every last drop of her dish.

The awkward silence that once filled the log cabin was now replaced with a more comfortable one. In that moment, the heat from the fire felt a lot warmer and soothing to the two girls. The blizzard outside was completely out of their minds along with tension from before. When the white-haired girl finished her meal, she placed the empty bowl to the side and looked at Ruby with a feeling of contentedness.

"Thanks for the food. I can't, for the life of me, remember the last time I ate, especially something that good," she said with complete seriousness. Now that her stomach was no longer empty, the blue-eyed girl her story had been denied for far too long.

"It all began in a lonely manor where I spent a majority of my lifetime", What she didn't mention was that it was lonely for a completely different reason.

* * *

Weiss was born in a large town called Firestone, named after the founder Isaac Firestone. It was a fairly prospering town that was near a river and some small mountains. The river allowed a heavy flow of trade that came from upstream. Several times a day, boats carrying a wide assortment of goods came, sold what they could, and left to the next town.

It was a few years after it was originally founded that a construction project meant to make another main road accidentally uncovered a vein of silver and iron. Almost immediately, the town was sent into a frenzy, each person wanting their share of wealth. At first, things went by peacefully, but it wasn't until the people of Firestone realized that the vein wasn't as big as they originally thought, that methods of getting rich off of the ores became more and more violent. There were cases where some went as far as to murder other people only to receive a few minerals.

It wasn't until Weiss's great great great grandfather arrived that things began to change. His name was Edward Schnee, and despite being an average man with an average life, the one thing that made him stand out was his incredible persuasiveness and his white hair. His hearty voice echoed for miles and made even the toughest man bend to his will. With a strong speech, he was able to convince to townspeople to settle down and share the wealth evenly. Yet Edward Schnee was not the most honest of people and, with his charming personality, was able to trick some people into giving up their share.

He told them that there was an even bigger vein in a town miles from Firestone. The people were gullible in believing the words of the man and willingly gave up their share as thanks for the information. Of course, the bigger vein that Edward Schnee was talking about was entirely nonexistent and the road to this "town" was filled with bandits, hazardous weather conditions, and many wild and dangerous animals. No one who embarked on the journey came back alive, which only guaranteed his success since there was no one to prove he was lying.

From then on, the man grew incredibly wealthy and managed to buy a big house that he later filled with servants. After all the ore was extracted from the mountain, Edward turned to a different means of getting money. The Schnee name has already grown in popularity and with some clever business decisions, he was able to befriend many people who were equally as wealthy as he. Because of this, it wasn't long before he met someone by the name of Samantha Brown.

She was a gorgeous woman who was recently widowed after the passing of her husband. Yet, that didn't stop her from continuing the business left behind by her spouse. She came to Firestone to scope the area and see if there was any land value in the town. The nearby mountains along with the river provided a splendid view that would manage to attract travelers. She decided to build a huge inn that would not only provide homes for people but would also act as a trading center.

Edward, seeing the success of the inn, decided to come up with a plan to get in on the business. Using his charm and persuasiveness, he managed to woo over Samantha. What started off as an attempt to take over the business for himself, soon turned into genuine feelings that affected the heart of Edward Schnee. He realized that Samantha was more than just a beautiful woman. She was someone who held a strong and unwavering determination to accomplish her goals, a characteristic that he found charming.

Eventually, the love between them grew into something bigger which inevitably lead to a wedding. Samantha adopted the last name of Edward which marked the beginning of the long-lasting lineage of the Schnee family. From then on, the inn kept growing in size until another inn was built in a neighboring town. The process repeated until several towns held famous Schnee inns that rivaled others.

However, disaster struck when Samatha passed away due to an unknown illness. Stricken by grief at the passing of his wife, Edward began distancing himself from his work. This negligence of the businesses led to a majority of the inns being shut down except for the original one. With only a small amount of income, Edward Schnee soon found himself in a financial crisis. If he didn't find a new way to get money, he would soon face bankruptcy.

It seemed luck was his side because not too long after, a huge amount of coal was found on a nearby mountain. Quickly jumping on the situation, he used his remaining money to fund a mining operation. It wasn't long before it grew into the largest mining operation that the world had seen. Yet, the man in control of this successful business was not the same as before.

Edward, who was once open-minded and talkative, was now cold and kept to himself. The treatment of the workers was a reflection of this due to some of the hazardous working environments. After a cave-in caused the deaths of many miners, a protest inevitably broke out by the workers in the mine. They demanded higher pay and less working hours to compensate for the unsafe working conditions. They made it clear that they would not resume extracting coal until their demands were met.

Feeling like the protest was a complete waste of time, Edward demanded that the miners get back to work but was met with a stern rebuttal. Eventually, the man was fed up with his workers' incompetence which led him to bride some guards into knocking some sense into them. The miners, not expecting such treatment, were filled with fear and resumed working, less they wanted to risk their lives more.

The news of this soon spread and people began looking at Edward Schnee in a different light. On several occasions, the white-haired man gave his own side to the story. He claimed the workers were the first ones to lash out and the guards were simply acting in self-defense. He ensured the real story didn't leak out through some intimidation and bribery. From then on, his coal mining business kept prospering until the man's age began to show. The man decided to remarry, but only for the purpose of producing an heir that would take over the business

Skip a couple of generations into the future and Weiss's father, Jacques Schnee, is now the new owner of the Schnee Mining Company. Throughout the years, the company has expanded from mining coal to mining a wide variety of ores like iron, gold, and silver. It set up many more mines that reached to the vast corners of the land. The mine in Firestone had long been emptied of its contents but the town contained the central headquarters of the company. It was also the place that housed the family in its giant manor and was the centerpiece of Weiss's childhood.

Her childhood went by like any other child who was born into wealth. The huge building was filled with many servants that did all the manual labor like cleaning and cooking. The young girl was clothed with the best dresses money could buy and her hair, just like all the Schnee's that came before, was a white in color. She was also lucky enough to inherit the blue eyes that sometimes got passed down the family. Growing up privileged and spoiled made Weiss have a snooty mentality, but it wasn't as bad as others in a similar position.

Both of her parents were successful business people who were highly respected by other people in the upper class, mainly because all they saw were a man and a woman who knew what they were doing. At the time, the white-haired girl was too young and naive to truly understand their way of getting and keeping the money.

Just like the original Schnee, her father kept a firm grip on his workers. Their working conditions weren't the safest but it was better than it was before, to reduce suspicion. He made sure none of them stepped out of line or provoked a protest among the other miners. While this was happening, the young Weiss lived her life in the manor with her two other siblings, Winter and Whitley Schnee.

Winter, being the eldest of the three, was in charge of taking care of her siblings while their parents were busy with work. If one could describe her personality, most would say serious and proper, and all of them would be unaware of her more caring side. It rarely showed and was only present with her siblings, especially her sister. Winter kept constant attention on the health and safety of Weiss, especially around the cold seasons were occasional snow storms would hit the town from time to time.

In one particular case, Weiss found herself stranded outside during one of these snow storms. The rapid wind and freezing temperature left her unable to move while her child body shivered uncontrollably. When news spread that she had gone missing, it was Winter who was first to respond. She quickly raced outside and began searching for her sister. Eventually, the older girl found Weiss huddled under a tree, her arms wrapped around her knees. She carried her on her back and ran towards their home, hoping her sister was ok after spending so much time in the snow storm.

When the younger sister recovered, Winter gave her a stern scolding and a lecture about the severity of snow storms. Soon afterward, the older girl gave her a big hug, while saying how happy she was that Weiss was alright. In that moment, both sisters felt a lot closer as siblings. It was one of those memories that the young Schnee cherished in her heart.

Years later, when Winter came of age, the two of them had less time to spend with each other. Now that she was old enough, the older sister had new matters to attend to involving her family's company. She was given the duty of traveling to other towns, in search of possible business investments. With all the traveling, she was rarely at home and would be gone for months at a time. This left Weiss to be by herself a majority of the time. There was still Whitley, but the brother had a tendency of annoying the young girl and the two of them soon developed a bad relationship.

The only comfort Weiss had was in the hands of a kind old lady named Beth. She lived on the outskirts of town in a secluded little cabin. The old lady lived alone and, despite her age, was able to care for herself. She had gray hair that only showed few strands of her original hair color. Her cabin was made out of logs and the only furnishings in her home were a bed, table, rug and some cooking tools. The blue-eyed girl first came into contact with the woman after a heated argument with her brother. The end result was Weiss's decision to run away from home, though considering her age at the time, meant she wouldn't get far. By chance, the white-haired girl managed to stumble upon Beth's home.

The old woman saw the condition of Weiss and immediately ushered her into her home for a cup of tea. The white-haired girl told the woman the reason she was away from home which made Beth sympathize with her. On that day, the old lady made some freshly baked sweet rolls, which Weiss immediately fell in love with. The sugary sweets along with the comfortable atmosphere helped ease the mind of the blue-eyed girl. After a while, the old lady told Weiss to head home, since her parents were probably worried about her. The younger girl wanted to object but the gentle look on the woman's face prohibited her from doing so.

In the end, the young Schnee returned home where not a single person even acknowledged her absence, except for a few servants. From then on, whenever she had the time, Weiss would sneak out of the manor and head towards Beth's cabin. The old lady would tell stories of her youth along with some fairy tales passed down from her family. These tales included stories of the Faunus race and of magical creatures that inhabited magical lands. Afterwards, if she had time, the old lady would make some more sweet rolls for Weiss to enjoy.

The time the blue-eyed girl spent with the kind old lady brought her happiness in her otherwise lonely life. Her trips to Beth's home continued for a year and in that time, the white-haired girl observed the health of the lady slowly decline. The woman was no longer able to stand without the help of Weiss and eventually, she was bedridden in her home. The younger girl did her best to help but even she knew the inevitable fate of the old lady.

Then, on a seemingly normal day, Weiss came over to see Beth lying in her bed, except this time, she didn't wake up. Despite the close bond the two of them had, the blue-eyed girl shed zero tears on that day. The sadness of losing a close friend was still in her heart, but now that she was older, she made sure to act grown up. With a heavy heart, she laid some flowers on the lady's chest and made sure her house was properly clean. When everything was finished, the white-haired took one last look at her dear friend before closing the door of the cabin for the last time. Her trip back home was a long one filled with a torrent of suppressed emotions.

The next few years of Weiss's life were spent like all the others, except this time, she had a new perspective on the world. The childlike innocence that once masked the world with a layer of happiness was now gone. The days came and went in their usual routine and before she knew it, she was old enough to be part of the Schnee Company, just like her sister before her. At first, her father gave her simple and mundane tasks to do like checking over documents or making sure the shipments of minerals were charged for reasonable prices.

All of this continued for a couple of years until she was tasked on an important trip to a new town that had recently been set up. Weiss, as told by her father, was in charge of investigating the new town and see if there would be anything worth investing in, like a small mining operation. The trip to the new town would take a week of traveling, given the distance of the settlement and the road that was still in development. The blue-haired girl, along with some guards and business partners, would travel by horse-drawn carriage. Weiss was expecting the journey to go smoothly, but she never would of guess the events that would transpire.

* * *

The view from outside the carriage was one that had been unchanging for the past hours. The endless expanse of the forest seemed to stretch on for miles and the only other interesting thing going on outside was the snow that began to fall. The ground below was already covered with a thick layer of snow that managed to slow down the carriage by a small amount.

The sound of wooden wheels against the ground combined with the occasional whinny of the horses were the only noises in the air. Weiss, who had the privilege of reserving a carriage all to herself, was beginning to zone out for what felt like the tenth time that day. Her eyes were struggling to stay open despite the fact that it was midday. However, the grey clouds that blocked the entirety of the sky made it almost impossible to correctly tell the time.

Luckily, the lanterns inside the wooden carriage provided enough necessary light to be able to see the interior. Weiss was currently sitting towards the back on a bench that had velvet covering on the top. The interior was well insulated and kept the carriage mostly warm, but there were still some instances where some of the outside air seeped in. It didn't help that the only warm clothing on the white-haired girl was a white fur-lined coat that reached to her knees. Below it was a light blue dress along and some short heeled shoes.

The blue-eyed girl had been on the road traveling to the new town for what felt like forever. The only times the carriage stopped completely were at night when the traveling party went to sleep, along with the horses. Since there were beds or inns this far into the untraveled land, Weiss had no choice but to sleep on the very seats she sat on. Even though the seats were comfortable enough to sit on, they proved difficult in providing the same comfort as a bed. This led to several restless nights and was the reason she was so tired.

She was about to take a well-deserved nap when the carriage suddenly jerked to a stop. The sudden stop was hardly a surprise since the road they were traveling on was cluttered with fallen branches and uneven parts of the ground. However, while most obstacles would have been cleared and passed within seconds, the carriage stayed stationary for a worryingly amount of time. Weiss wanted to just ignore it, but there was an odd feeling in her mind that told her it was no ordinary stop.

The worry in her mind eventually was strong enough to force the white-haired girl to investigate what was happening. She opened the door and stepped outside onto the snow-covered ground. The chilly air immediately enveloped her and the coat she had on did little in keeping her warm. The long trip had already left her in a bad mood, but the extended stop combined with the cold weather only made it worse.

 _If I find out we stopped for no apparent reason, I'm going to have a serious talk with the person responsible._ She thought to herself angrily. The blue-eyed girl looked around and saw that there was some commotion going on near the leading carriage. There was a small round gathering that consisted of some guards and other people that were too obscure to be seen properly. As she approached the commotion, she realized there was an argument going on between one of the businessmen and the carriage driver.

"I'm telling you that it is the utmost importance that we reach this new town as soon as possible," The businessman said, his voice sounding irritated.

"And _I'm_ telling you that we won't be going nowhere when this blizzard hits!" The driver responded with his own annoyance. Upon seeing Weiss, the two of them stopped their bickering and looked at the blue-eyed girl in surprise.

"What is the meaning of this? Why have we stopped?" She asked while wrapping the coat closer around her body.

"U-uh, forgive us Ms. Schnee, but we have hit a bit of a problem regarding the weather. You see, the carriage drivers refuse to move because they believe a severe blizzard is about to hit." The man said while sounding apologetic.

"Is it really that serious?" Weiss directed her question to the carriage driver, wanting to hear his own opinion on the matter.

"Definitely. I've seen a lot of blizzards in my time but this one is by far the most severe. If we don't turn back we're all going to-" His sentence was cut short as the man stopped speaking all of a sudden. His face contorted into a shocked expression and he appeared to be in great pain. The white-haired girl was about to ask what was wrong before the man fell face first into the snow, an arrow lodged in his back. Before she was able to respond, Weiss heard a loud yell coming from one of the guards.

"AMBUSH!" At the sound of this, all the remaining guards came out of their carriage and formed a defensive circle around Weiss. The guards were wearing protective armor and were armed with a shield and sword. However, the single arrow that struck the driver down was only the beginning and a huge volley of arrows soon came from all directions. They cut through the air at high speeds and managed to hit some guards through the gaps in their armor. The ones that were able to react in time managed to protect themselves by raising their shields.

Before they knew it, a group of bandits exited the forest and commenced an attack against the party. Despite the skill of the guards, the bandits outnumbered them 2 to 1 which lead to the defensive circle getting scattered. The sound of swords clashing replaced the quietness of the forest. Soon, the once tranquil area was filled with screaming, bodies falling on the ground, and the distressed cries of the horses.

The sudden ambushed combined with the sporadic activity meant Weiss was unable to see a lone bandit sneak behind her. In all the commotion, the guards were unable to spot the threat against the one main person they ordered to protect. The blue-eyed girl turned around and was face to face with a gruff looking man who was armed with a dagger in one hand. He wore armor made out of leather and his crooked grin showed off equally crooked teeth.

"You're dead meat girly!" The bandit said while lunging forward with his knife. Weiss stumbled backward at the sudden attack but was too slow at completely avoiding it. The white-haired girl let out a painful scream ad the knife cut her eye in a downward slash. Before she knew it, the white-haired girl was lying on the snow, her hand desperately clutch the wound on her face. The snow underneath her began turning a light red as blood dripping from the cut stained the white ground. She could hear her heart pumping in her chest while her other god eye observed the bandit approaching for another attack.

Weiss closed her eyes, expecting another attack from the bandit. Yet, the strike never came and when she opened her right eye, she saw one of the guards barely managing to hold the man back.

"Run Ms. Schnee I'll hold him off!" The guard yelled at the blue-eyed girl as she prevented the bandit from moving any closer. The idea of running and leaving the guards to the fate of the marauders was something she refused to do. If she stood up and ran, it would be seen selfish and she would never forgive herself.

"I can't just leave! What will happen to-"

"JUST GO!" The gourd yelled from over his shoulder. At the sound of his voice, Weiss picked herself up on wobbly legs and ran down the road. She didn't know if any of the bandits were chasing her and she was too scared to look behind. Her legs were moving as fast as they could but the snow covered ground made moving difficulty. Eventually, the adrenaline from before began running out and she became painfully aware of the throbbing of her cut. Not only that, the blue-eyed girl began feeling winded and it became a struggle to continue her fast pace.

After what felt like hours, Weiss slowed to a trudge and she rested a majority of her weight on a nearby tree, her hand still clutching at her wound The lungs in her chest felt like they were burning and it took awhile before her ragged breathing normalized. She was about to take a look around before the world around her all of a sudden became darker. The dark layer of clouds up above was now dropping a huge amount of snowfall. Strongest gust of wind made the falling snow fly everywhere, making the temperature drop far below freezing. Even with the coat wrapped around her body, Weiss still felt the cold chilling her to the bone.

It was nearly impossible to see a hundred feet in front of her from all the snow in the air. The blue-eyed girl didn't think things could get any worse but, of course, life had its cruel way of making things happen. A distant howl coming from a direction of the forest made a nerve-rattling feeling go down her back. She looked around for anything that would help defend herself against whatever creature made the howl but all she found was a sharp looking rock. She picked it up just in case since the tip looked sharp enough.

Weiss made a feeble attempt to run further down the road but the only speed she was able to maintain was a light jog. The pain coming from her eye was slowly starting to get unbearable and the freezing cold made every step more and more difficult. Her pace kept on getting slower and slower until her body refused to move anymore. With all the damage she had received, the blue haired girl was unable to do anything besides leaning on a tree. And that's when she saw it.

A pair of red eyes looking at her from the forest. Their color seemed entirely unnatural and it resembled nothing like any animal she had ever seen. It stepped onto the road and that's when Weiss saw the creature in full view. At first glance, it looked like a totally normal wolf, yet there was something unsettling about it. Its fur was an eerie shade of grey and there were some blotches of fur that were as black as coal. Some odd white fragments were protruding from its back which Weiss swore looked like bone.

It bared its teeth and let out a snarl that echoed in her ears. The noise made her skin crawl and her hairs stand on end. The white-haired girl remembered the painted rock she recently picked up and held it in front of her in a defensive manner. The wolf-like creature slowly eased forward in a menacing way, each step it took another step closer to the helpless girl. Then, out of nowhere, the wolf was joined by two more, each being an almost identical copy of the first.

Weiss looked at the three wolves, her hands begin to tremble with both fear and a lack of warmth. It wasn't long before her legs gave in and she collapsed on the snow-covered ground. Her body no longer felt cold and instead felt entirely numb. Her vision began darkening and she was no longer able to see her surroundings. The last thing Weiss saw before passing out from over-exhaustion was a sudden flash of red from the corner of her eye.


End file.
